The world wide web is an active and changing beast, that is extremely hard to keep up with. Constantly updating, ever expanding and always innovating, it can be a little much for all of us sometimes. Thankfully we have powerful search engines like Google and Bing, that help us sort through the information so we can find exactly what we need. But what if we could keep up-to-date with as many topics as we wanted, without even typing in a search query?

Google has a not so commonly used tool, Google Alerts, that helps users to keep in the loop with their favourite topics. Google Alerts is a content change detection and notification service, that automatically notifies users of new content relevant to their favourite topics. The notifications are sent via email.

All a user has to do is input what topics/information they want to receive updates about, how often they want to receive them, the volume of results and the type of results. Types of results include everything (as in everything!), news, blogs, video and discussions.

Not only is this tool great for finding out all of the new information about my favourite sporting team, it is also a great tool for businesses to use as well. For example, it could help you keep track of your competitors activities, or innovation in your industry.

Image: Google alert example for keyword 'Townsville'

So save yourself some time, and have all of the new information your (not) looking for, emailed directly to your inbox. Try Google Alerts today.

Often when I’m eating out or shopping with friends, one of my mates will ‘check us in’ for the whole of Facebook to see. For example: Michael Webley and John Smith are at Global Shopping World. Aside from letting those pesky stalkers know exactly where you are, it also shows all of your friends where you are eating/shopping/working/playing if you choose to share it. To most users of Facebook this location service is simply another way to follow your friends. However businesses in the US have begun using location based social networking services as another way to market to consumers.

The idea is simple. The business will offer a discount or special to any customer that ‘checks-in’ at their store. For those who aren’t so tech savvy, ‘checking-in’ involves posting onto Facebook or another social networking site where you are and what you are doing. The ‘check-in’ can be seen by all of your followers which is of great value to any business you check in to. It is the equivalent of your own mini advertisement or endorsement of that business. It brings the business to the forefront of people’s minds and because you’ve been there, it may encourage or persuade your online friends to go as well.

In the US last year, retailer GAP was extremely successful in creating customer awareness through geo marketing. They gave customers the chance of winning 1 of 10,000 pairs of jeans through checking in at one of their stores across the country. If a customer missed out, they still received 40% any regularly priced item. This bought thousand of people streaming into their stores all across America.

Australia is slowly catching on, with restaurant chains and hotel groups beginning to use location based social networking services as another tool in their marketing arsenal. Asian noodle chain Wagamama and chicken restaurant Nando’s are both offering special deals to those customers that check in at their locations.

So what are you waiting for? Go see if you can ‘check-in’ on some of the deals today.

Chocolate slices, lemon tarts and warm coffee were my models for today’s photoshoot at Betty Blue + The Lemon Tart. I wanted to capture the deliciousness of the caramel slices, the warmth of fresh coffee and the calm ambience of the small nested café in the outskirts of the CBD.

By using a shallow aperture on my brick sized camera, I was able to bring focus on a particular part of the photograph. Giving that blurred surrealistic perspective and sharpened focus on the sweet and tantalizing treats. There was a huge selection of baked goods, snacks and vibrant coffee mugs to trigger the shutterbug within me.

We’re often asked “How do I get my website to appear at the top of Google Searches?”

First of all it’s a good idea to get an understanding of how a search engine works. Over the last couple of years, search engines like Google have really evolved to start thinking about website content, just like we users do.

Previously websites included a section in the code for meta-keywords, which allowed you to define 10 or so ‘keywords’ about the page, that search engines could use to understand what the page was about. Now search engines look at different variables to define not only what a page is about, but how likely it is to contain what you are looking for. They take into account things like the page name, the headings on a page, all the words on a page – and how many times each of the words you are searching for appear within that page. Are their synonyms for the words you are searching for also on the page? How many other sites are linking to that page? And then using this data, they try and display a list of the sites that they think would be the most relevant for what you are looking for.

View the video below for a quick introduction into how Google Search works, put together by the good folks over at Google.

Well it has been an interesting month of work for me, as is usually the case when one starts a new job. Everything’s new; new boss, new ideas, even a new laptop. More importantly though, I have discovered and am learning to use a range of online tools which to me, are new. I am amazed at the amount of free tools around, specifically the tools being offered by Google.

Google offers a variety of tools that when used correctly can be of great benefit to any business with a website. One tool that I have recently discovered is Google Places for business. Google Places is a free service that helps potential customers and clients connect with your business. Potentially, your business can be placed at the top of Google’s search results without you having to pay a cent! Your business will also appear on Google maps! This really is an exciting prospect for small businesses as some companies will spend thousands of dollars vying for that top spot.

Another great tool to help businesses to connect with existing and potential clients is e-newsletters. An email marketing campaign can help to create brand awareness, as well as inform readers of new products and services. A great free tool to create and distribute e-mail campaigns is Mail Chimp. Mail chimps helps you design, send and track your results all from the one spot.

Although a little time consuming, these online marketing tools and others can really help your business to flourish online, and translate to sales offline. If you need help managing your online marketing, contact us at Mojito and we’ll be happy to help.

Do you want to work in the web industry? We’re currently looking for creative, motivated and passionate people for the following positions:

Online Marketing Specialist

Do you love helping people? Want to work with online tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube? We’re looking for someone with a friendly and outgoing personality to assist our clients with strategic online marketing. Read full Position Description – Online Marketing

Web Designer

Love designing websites? We have the perfect job for you. From simple one page placeholders, to extensive database driven sites and e-commerce stores we specialise in combining technology and design to create innovative (and user-friendly) websites. Experience in print design and/or HTML/CSS/Javascript/PHP would be advantageous. Read full Position Description – Web Designer

Both positions, are flexible part-time/casual and would suit students studying Marketing, Graphic Design, New Media or Information Technology (IT), with the potential for full-time employment for the right person.

Today we’ve officially just launched our new website and rebranding for 2011. This is the third redesign we’ve done of our website and logo, and so far it’s certainly my favourite. Over the last 3 years, we’ve been growing as a business in terms of size and what we want to achieve, and I think our new branding reflects that.

Mojito Solutions Logo and Website V1 – 2007/2008

This was the very first logo I had ever designed. It was a bit of a rush job as I just wanted to get some business cards printed and needed them done ASAP. Over the years, we’ve kept with the same concept of the blue, green and mint leaf, but the style of the logo has become fresher and crisper.

Mojito Solutions Logo and Website V2 – 2009/2010

This logo was my first attempt at simplifying our branding. We went with a simple, clean, rounded font, freshened up the colours, and revamped the leaf design. I always felt that the logo didn’t quite feel solid enough, and the text was a bit narrow, which is what led to the creation of a new logo in 2011.

In the second version of our website. We simplified everything and cleaned up the overall look, but we didn’t really plan out the home page very well and I always felt there was a bit too much whitespace.

Mojito Solutions Logo and Website V3 – 2011

Right now i’m really loving our new logo and website. It has a sleek, professional, corporate feel, while still giving the vibe of a fun, young company. Once again we’ve tweaked the blue and green colours again slightly, going with a brigher blue and using gradients to work between them. This is the first version of the logo where we haven’t gone with a white background. We’ve completly revamped the leaf design, simplifying it to be more of an icon.

We’ve tried to simplify the design of the site, while at the same time allowing room for us to build up the content and add to it over the upcoming years. Eventually we’re hoping to integrate in more pictures, videos and an online support area full of articles and tutorials.

So what do you think?

We’d love to know what you think of our new logo and website – write us a comment below.

I’ve been wanting to setup a blog for the business for years now, but have never seemed to get the time to actually sit down and do it. Well that is all about to change. If you’re not familiar with Blogs, basically they are an informal communication tool where individuals (or businesses) write articles, and visitors can reply with comments.

What to expect?
We’re planning on writing an article a week on a range of topics from new features we’re offering, ideas and innovations, tips and tricks, upcoming events, and just general news. Got a topic you want to hear about? Post a comment below and let us know.

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“The feedback we have received about our new website has been phenomenal, especially from staff. It has breathed new life into our marketing and advertising. It is so easy to edit and keep everything on it up to date. Thank you Katrina for talking to us in a language that we understand and making the effort to understand our needs.” – Emma Blacklock, The Cathedral School

Townsville Web Design, Online Stores, ENewsletters & Graphic Design. Want to Find out more? Give Us a Call, Send us anEmail, or Drop us a Line.